A golden retriever has gone viral on TikTok after his sleepy antics captured the hearts of viewers. The footage has racked up more than 240,000 views in less than 24 hours.
The video shows Kobe, a golden retriever, standing on a landing with his eyes barely open, fur sticking up in all directions, and one ear crinkled—likely from lying on it.
The caption explains: “When mum comes home from work early and interrupts nap time,” earning more than 40,000 likes, at the time of writing.
“He loves to sleep!” his owner Rachel Smith (@rachellssmithh) told Newsweek, adding: “But he’s never usually that sleepy.”
During the video, she can be heard from behind the camera saying: “Oh my goodness, that is a tired boy.”
Despite being visibly tired, the four-year-old dog still seems delighted to see Smith in their Scotland home. His body wiggles with excitement, signaling his tail is wagging. However, he makes no effort to head downstairs,
Why Dogs Sleep So Much
Newsweek previously spoke to Animal Friends Pet Insurance’s Catrin George and Dr. Mondrian Contreras, a veterinarian at Carol Stream Animal Hospital in Illinois, about canine sleep.
George explained: “Dogs can average anything between eight and 20 hours of sleep each day, depending on their age, breed, exercise, surroundings, and health. Our canine friends need this amount of sleep because it helps restore their immunity and repairs damaged cells in their bodies.”
Dogs share similar sleep cycles to humans, including both REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM stages. During REM sleep, they may twitch their ears, eyes, legs, or tail, while deep sleep makes them appear more relaxed, often lying on their side.
Experts caution against waking dogs during these stages, as it can startle them and lead to involuntary reactions such as jumping, scratching, or even biting.
Contreras said: “There are also medical conditions such as hearing loss, arthritis, and back injuries that can cause dogs to be more reactive if abruptly startled awake. This intense reaction can result in them injuring themselves, or the sudden increased physical discomfort may cause them to instinctively snap or growl due to the flight-or-fight response.”
TikTok Reacts
In this case, it is likely the sound of the door opening woke up Smith’s furry friend.
“That’s one hell of a bed head, and bed ears too,” wrote one user.
Another commented: “I love coming home earlier than usual because my boy is always sleepy from his nap but so happy at the same time.”
A third joked: “This is what my husband looks like when I get home early!”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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